Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Company

Bruce Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 3101, 22 September 1899, Page 5

Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Company

The annual meeting of the Toko, milk Suppliers, previous to the opening of the factory for the coming leason, waa held on Wednesday evening. About 15 farmers were present, the small attendance, undoubtedly, being" due to the short notice which the suppliers received. Mr M'Farlane and Mr Bolt were present bo represent the Company. Mr M'Farlane said the Company had sent him to Milton that evening to hear the opinions of some of ihe farmers regarding the new management of ,the factory. Although the Company had ereoted separating machinery at Milton they would continue the cheese making up to say the-end of April until the ■mall quantity coming forward would make it necessary to start butter-making. However.'bje said the Company had decided to give the" farmers 3_d per gallon for their milk this season. Their object in so doing, was to get the farmers to produce a* much milk as possible as it took the same amount of labor and expense to work 500 gallons as it did 1000 gallons. Last year the Company paid away no less than £85,000 for milk, and he was confident that this ysar the amount would be £100,000. In reply to a question as to when the Company intended to start taking the milk, Mr M'Farlane said he thought tho beginning of the month would be the most ■ui table as that was the usual time. The matter of supplying milk in winter was discussed at considerable length, some of the farmers contending that the majority of the local suppliers could not be induced to go in for winter milking owing to the scarcity of feed and the labor and expense which was necessarily attached to milk cows at that time of the year. Mr M'Farlane explained that ai the price of milk in winter • would be much higher than that giren in summer, 4£d to 4id per gallon being tbe usual, it would pay farmers to go in for winter milking. He said the farmers qn the! Peninsula principally fed their cows \a winter on turnips, ryegrass, and hay. There was qne fact he would like the Toko, suppliers to note * that on the Peninsula the turnips were always g|iven tq the oqwa after they had been milked, and as a consequence the butter did not taste so much of turnips ta was generally the case. In reply to a question as to how the milk from Milburn was going to be taken to the factory, Mr Johnstone, the manager, aaid that if someone could not be induced to take up fche run he would, try and make some arrangement himself to have the milk conveyed to the factpry. Mr ; M'Far*Jane intimated that aj'-d per gallon was tq be a unifqrm price unless, the j-fiiilk fell bplqw a certain test, when, of course, a lower rate would have to be accepted. _